Saturday, October 1. 2011

In September 2011 there were 86,912 Unique Visits to the Impala Publications blog, an average of 2,897 visits per day, rounded to 2.9 thousand. That compares with 3.1 thousand in the previous month, August 2011, and 2.6 thousand in the previous September, September 2010.

Site traffic 2011 (2010 in brackets)daily average in thousand Unique Visits

God's Spirit is working in the most amazing ways. In this new Ireland, it might seem strange for you from my tradition to say this, but there is no community more stragically placed than the Church of Ireland. Because in every town, in every village, they have a community.

It has brought such joy to me the appointment of these evangelical bishops. Like Ken - Fanta as I know him - and Harold and Peter. It is such a joy to me. They are strategically placed.

I take such delight in the effectiveness of the Baptists in Cork, who have discovered an effective means of planting churches. Or of my dear friend Sean, who was the first youth lad ever in our youth fellowship in Lucan, who is now the Pastor of the largest Pentecostal church in Dublin, working among immensely difficult and socially-alienated people. And I rejoice in what he is doing.

The IBI [Irish Bible Institute], for example, is training people in innovative ways of ministry and mission in the Republic of Ireland. I saw in the IRISH TIMES, that David Ross [who, I understand, I am conducting a wedding with in a few months' time] as part of an evangelical movement in West Cork, has re-established the St Finbarr's Pilgrim Way, so that Catholic people can identify with the witness and testimony of those evangelical people in West Cork.

You see, we can no longer thank, "Can you, Lord, restore the kingdom to US." He seems to be transcending all of those distinctions now.

I have to tell you it is an enormous pleasure to see the renewal and transformation of the Dublin and Munster Presbytery of which I am a part. At a time when, in the North of Ireland, the Presbyterian Church is statistically on the decline, the only Presbytery that is growing is the Dublin and Munster Presbytery. Who could conceive of such a thing?

Janine Goffar's C.S. Lewis Index: Rumours from the Sculptor's Shop (1995) is an excellent resounce for the student of the works of C.S. Lewis. There I looked up "Repentance" to find that Janine Goffar has listed numerous references in C.S. Lewis's works. Goffar lists 31 in all. Here are just the first few of them;

C.S. Lewis

Repentance: After we have repented, we should remember the price of our forgiveness and be humble

PP 61 (see also L 236)
PP 4:0 (see also L 8 Jan 52)

Repentance as "movement full steam astern"

MC 59 (see also PP 101)
MC II 4:7 (see also PP 6:13)

Repentance as one of the steps in conversion

L 192 - L 4 Jan 41

Repentance (as sorrow for being that kind of person) may continue after we have been forgiven

Thursday, September 29. 2011

Iranian pastor Yousef Nadarkhani could be executed as early as tomorrow if he refuses to recant his faith in court today.

The pastor, who was given the death sentence for 'leaving Islam' in September 2010, has appeared in court in Rasht already this week – and has twice refused to renounce his faith. If he does so a third time today, he can then be executed at any point, in accordance with Iran's interpretation of Islamic law.

The Supreme Court upheld the death sentence in June but ruled that Pastor Yousef's case should be referred back to the lower court in Rasht to establish whether or not he was ever a practising Muslim (Prayer Alert, July 1, 2011). The Supreme Court's written verdict allowed for the death sentence to be annulled if he recanted his faith.

Judges in Rasht, Gilan province, ruled that Pastor Yousef had not in fact ever been a Muslim – but upheld the death sentence because of his 'Muslim ancestry'.

Pastor Yousef's lawyer pointed out to the court in Rasht that the judges' verdict contravened current Iranian and international law – a point that they acknowledged. But they declared that the Supreme Court's verdict was final.

Pastor Yousef was arrested in Rasht on October 13, 2009, while he was trying to register his church. Initially, he was charged with 'protesting', reportedly against Islam's monopoly over children's religious education in Iran. Later, charges against him were changed to 'apostasy' and 'evangelising'.

Middle East Concern reports that the last known judicial execution of an Iranian church leader was in December 1990 when Rev Hossein Soodman was hanged.

Religious rights charity Christian Solidarity Worldwide reports that Pastor Yousef's lawyer, Mr Mohammed Ali Dadkhah, is also facing legal difficulties. He is currently appealing against a nine-year jail sentence, delivered in July, for 'actions and propaganda against the Islamic regime'.

Act
• Write a brief, polite email to the Iranian Ambassador in London appealing for clemency for Pastor Yousef. Religious rights charity Christian Solidarity Worldwide has set up a webpage to allow you to do this direct. Please first read its guidance on how best to word your email.
Pray
• Pray that the Iranian authorities will pardon Pastor Yousef. Pray that staff at the Iranian Embassy in London will pass on messages of concern from UK citizens to the Iranian Government in Tehran.
• Ask God to fill Pastor Yousef, his wife, Fatemeh, and their two young sons with His peace and His love. Pray that they will know God as their strong tower (Proverbs 18:10). Pray too for the success of Mr Dadkhah's appeal.

I'm expecting in the next 24 hours to receive the print copies of the Loch Lao Christian Heritage Festival, Bangor Programme, brochure. However, I've sent e-copies to friends. Here's a comment from an Austrian friend -

"... it became a desideratum to visit the city of Sankt Gallen in Switzerland, capital of the canton of the same name, while so close. Sankt Gallen lies not far from Bregenz. I had written to the city beforehand so consequently a party of six took time off from Bregenz to pay a day-trip to Sankt Gallen. The party included Dean Hamilton Leckey with his wife, Ellie, and we travelled by train crossing the Austrian-Swiss border at Sankt Margreten.

The first call in our whistle-stop tour was at the monastery of Sankt Gallen. There the Librarian showed us round the library, the oldest and most famous in Switzerland. Then he sat us down over coffee. He told us how quite recently a number of scholars had held a weekend symposium to discuss Saint Gall.

In fact rather little is known about the saint (the first Life was written only in the 9th century). Apart from his being a member of Columbanus's party really the only things that can be said for certain are that Gall spoke the local languages in use around Lake Constance (for which reason he acted as interpreter) and that he was an expert fisherman as well. For this reason some scholars speculated that in fact Gall was a native German or European who had become attached to Columbanus's party on their travels.

Though the author of a biography of Columbanus, my near-namesake Cardinal Tomás Ó Fiaich did not attend the symposium itself, but he turned up to deliver a speech at its close. In this he made many statements about Saint Gall as if they were established facts. This amused some of the scholars present who had just concluded that many of these 'facts' were disputed. Is history "a series of stories on which everyone is agreed"?

After that we were taken on a tour of the monastery by a lady who turned out to be a member of the local Reformed, or Zwinglian, Church. Then the head of the city Travel Buro (Verkehrsamt) treated us to a delicious lunch. Finally the Mayor of Sankt Gallen received us at a reception in the modern Town Hall, a skyscraper which commands wonderful views over this historic yet modern city. After all that back to Bregenz by train after a stimulating day. Sadly, I've never been back to the city."

The German-language entry on Wikipedia includes the proposal that Gall was not an Irishman at all, but a German who had joined Columbanus's team on the way. This theory derives from the novelist Gerold Hilty.

Maria Hufenus doesn't believe it and the English-language entry on Wikipedia doesn't mention it -

I've received two emails from Nicholas Coates in Perth, Western Australia:

Tuesday, 27 September 2011

Hi There, My name is Nicholas Coates. I am the youngest child of the late Victor Coates, better known by your club members as Arthur Cootes.

I presently reside in Perth,Western Australia,but plan to visit Belfast in order to carry out family history on the Coates family and the Lagan Foundry [i.e. the family business:Ed] sometime in April/May 2012.

I know you have two club members, Gerald Harvey James O'Fee, who were especially friendly with Arthur,so I was hoping they might be interested in talking with me when I visit there.

Thursday, 29 September 2011

Thank you for your lightening speed response. In fact I did visit Arthur (yes you have me calling him that now) and the most dutiful Ivy back in 1988. It was a time when fireworks were frequently used about town. Belfast struck me as quite a lively place on a Friday night as young revellers demonstrated their passions.

Amongst other places, Arthur took me to see Rathmore, Town Hall [i.e. Belfast City Hall:Ed], and the Ulster Museum. I am very happy the steam engines are still on display,as I did hear a rumour they might be removed.

I ..... certainly look forward to lively conversation around a pint or two, however I should warn you I am no great chess player. I played several games with my father which all finished rather swiftly,although to soften the blow,he replied diplomatically by saying I did have potential. Will be in touch soon with minor amendments re Arthur's obituary..... I would just add that Arthur is held with the warmest affections by my immediate family. He was an eccentric character with many idiosyncracies but whenever possible, always displayed generosity toward others,regardless of their background.

Ed: Nicholas, I haven't visited the Ulster Museum recently. I will check on the Coates engines.

I drafted the below for the Festival Brochure (Bangor Programme). It's only a first drft and never made it into the brochure for reasons of space, but I'm placing it in the public domain anyway to prompt discussion.

The personality of Saint Gall, today Switzerland’s patron saint, connects two of medieval Christendom’s greatest institutions of learning. Gall studied firstly at the Abbey of Bangor, during Ireland’s “Golden Age”. It was Bangor that sent Gall to the Continent as one of the mission team led by Columbanus. Some decades after the death of St Gall, a monastery arose on the site where Gall had spent many years as a hermit. Taking its name from the saint, the Abbey of St Gallen became the most influential and learned in the whole of ancient Germany.

Tradition tells us that Gall was born about 550, in Leinster, the son of a nobleman. His birth name was Chelleh, or something similar, and this was the name by which his fellow-countrymen and companions knew him. ‘Gall’ comes from a Latin translation of a nickname, “foreigner”, attached to him by the German people.

Chelleh /Gall was dedicated to Christian service in Bangor Abbey. About 589 he left Ireland for good as a member of the Columbanus mission. Gall would never return to his native land, nor ever again see friends or family. In the Dark Ages there was no Skpe, email nor even a regular postal service. Unlike modern missionaries with furloughs and home attachments, mission then meant a complete break and an utter dependence on God.

Eventually the team reached Lake Constance. A German tribe called the Alemanni inhabited this region, part of Swabia. There Gall became useful as linguist, translator and fisherman. In the North Down Museum you will find an image of Columbanus and Gall fishing on the lake. Gall was known furthermore for his zealous preaching. His physical attacks on pagan temples gave Columbanus great trouble with the locals.

Disputes in the course of mission work are nothing new (see the Acts of the Apostles); Columbanus and Gall fell out. The former crossed the Alps for new adventures in Italy while Gall remained in what in now modern Switzerland. About 612 he established a hermitage on the banks of the River Steinach. There Gall lived the life of a hermit, known for his piety, wisdom and powers of healing. He died about 646, but not before Jonas had interviewed him for Jonas’s Life of Columbanus.

Later many stories became attached to the saint. The most famous concerns a bear. In one version, a trail of breadcrumbs attracts a bear to the camp. Gall orders the bear to bring a log for the fire and he rewards the animal with a loaf of bread.

After the death of Gall a small church was built on the site of the hermitage. There in 719 Othmar founded an Abbey which took its name from Gall. The Abbey reached its peak in the 9th century under Abbot Moengan, an Irishman.
A town, then city, grew around the Abbey which came to own vast lands south of Lake Constance. Today a Swiss canton bears the name of Gall as well and the Abbey is an UNESCO World Heritage site.. The symbol of the Abbey, city and canton is St Gall’s bear.

Wednesday, September 28. 2011

The Chief Rabbi, Sir Jonathan Sachs, spoke on Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year, this morning on BBC Radio 4's TODAY programme. Excellent, as all the Chief Rabbi's talks are. And Steven Jaffe writes -

Rosh Hashana

Rosh Hashana is the Jewish New Year and is being celebrated this year on Thu 29th and Fri 30th September. A shofar (ram's horn) is blown in synagogues in Israel and around the world to announce the new year, to proclaim divine kingship and to awaken worshipers to repentance. At a time of much concern for Israel, NIFI wishes Israel and its supporters around the world a Happy and Peaceful New Year.

Back in June, NIFI took the case for Israel to the Braid, Ballymena where over 100 attended, including the newly elected Mayor, Hubert Nicholl, and local MP, Ian Paisley Junior, and MLAs and councilors. NIFI supporter Grant Wetherall organised and chaired the event, and the guest speaker was Michael Brodsky, director of Public Affairs at the Israeli embassy in London.

Over 160 people attended NIFI's summer reception at Belfast synagogue - NIFI supporter Colin Nevin talked about his time as a Christian living in the Jewish state. Jim Shannon MP gave the vote of thanks.

NIFI holds its first event in London. Northern Ireland Equality Commission head Evelyn Collins explained to representatives of the UK Jewish community the twinning arrangement between the Commission and its Israeli counterpart.

Not a NIFI event, but over 70 attend a Council of Christians and Jews meeting to hear Robin Newton MLA discuss the Changing dynamics of the Middle East and lessons from Northern Ireland.

1. Turkish Sabre rattling in the aftermath of the UN Palmer report, which held that Israel's blockade of Gaza is legal and that Turkey should be criticised for its role in permitting the flotilla incident. The Turkish president threatens gun boats to Gaza.

2. The Israeli embassy is sacked in Cairo, Libyan weapons flood the Middle East (including falling into the hands of terrorist groups in the Sinai peninsular), the Syrian regime clings to power by killing its own citizens and venting wrath on Israel.

3. All the time, the clock ticks on the Iranian nuclear crisis. The Iranian president utters earlier this month that we are reaching the first stage in the destruction of Israel.

4. In Israel itself, hundreds of thousands take to the streets to protest for social justice. Israel's success as a hi tec centre hides growing inequalities between rich and poor, a rising cost of living and a growing population living below the poverty line.

5. Iranian-backed Hamas and Hezbolla continue to pose a threat - over 400 missile and mortar attacks fired from Gaza this year alone. Over a million citizens of southern Israel have to live 15 seconds from a bomb shelter. Hezbolla better armed now than ever before.

6. At the UN the countries of the world queue up to recognise a Palestinian state in place of of any comprehensive peace settlement with Israel. The Palestinians offer no compromise in recognising Israel as the Jewish state but over two thirds of the international community support a Palestinian one.

7. The global campaign to demonise Israel gathers pace and we in Northern Ireland are in the front line. The Irish Congress of Trade Unions breaks links with its Israeli counterpart, the Histadrut - showing that the workers of the world should unite but not if they are Israeli. A Northern Ireland district council wishes to twin with the Hamas administration in Gaza. The West Belfast festival has a Palestine day at which no friend of Israel is invited to speak.

NIFI pays tribute to the commitment of its supporters who in the last few months alone have ventured to Dublin to support the growing friends of Israel group in the Republic, written to MPs and MLAs to express their concern for Israel, held prayer meetings and celebrations of Israel, and of course have attended our own NIFI events. We are extremely grateful for your support and for the support also of Northern Ireland's MPs at Westminster who have signed private members motions and spoken in the chamber in defence of Israel.

Public lecture by Frau Maria Hufenus, St Gallen City and Abbey Library Guide. To book your place, telephone the Museum on 028 9127 1200 or visit the site http://www.northdown.gov.uk/bookings . Places are limited.

Frau Hufenus is giving two other lectures at St Mary’s University College, Belfast, on Monday 17th at 12 noon, and on Thursday 20th at 3 p.m.

With Liam Logan, author of the book of the same name. Introduced by Dr Ian Adamson OBE, High Sheriff of Belfast and President of the Ullans Academy. Admission: £5 at door to include tea or coffee.

MUSEUM TOURS

Museum Tours
Museum Vaiges
Turais san Iarsmalann

North Down Museum

Venue: North Down Museum Castle Park Avenue Bangor
Free Guided Tours of up to one hour. Your qualified museum guide will take you on a tour of the Mary O’Fee Early Christian Gallery. To book your place, telephone the Museum on 028 9127 1200.

Some of Bangor’s most historic churches are offering free guided tours of their buildings during the Festival. There are some tours available on each day bar Sunday. Tours should last no more than one hour.

No Booking is needed. Your guide will be an experienced member of the congregation.

So why not show up to learn about a church you might otherwise never visit. There is no charge.

As a public service only, we are giving details of selected Sunday Services in the town. The churches mentioned have no necessary relationship with the Loch Lao Partnership nor with the Blackbird Festival, even though many of them are offering Church Tours in conjunction with our programme.

Sunday 16th October 2011
FEAST DAY OF ST GALL
Event: Selected Church services

Tuesday, September 27. 2011

Christians in Kazakhstan are concerned that draft legislation being discussed in Parliament's upper house on Thursday would severely limit religious freedom.

If it were passed, one of the two draft laws would make illegal the activities of any group refusing to submit to a proposed tough new registration system. The same would apply to any religious group failing to meet its complex and strict registration criteria. This is of particular concern to congregations of the Baptist Council of Churches, which do not want to seek state registration, reports the Forum 18 news service.

All religious communities would be forced to re-register within a year – or face 'liquidation through the courts', according to Forum 18.

The dominance of Orthodox Christianity and Islam of the Hanafi school in Kazakhstan is underlined in the proposed new legislation. This too has led non-Orthodox Christians to fear that they might be denied registration. What's more, all religious groups wanting to build or open new places of worship would require both local and central government approval.

Non-orthodox Christians also fear that the other draft legislation would have serious implications for the religious freedom of particular groups, such as children and missionaries, and for the freedom to print religious literature. They also say the draft legislation would violate Kazakhstan's international human rights commitments.

Christians have been alarmed as much by the content of the draft legislation as by the 'unprecedented' speed with which it is passing through the country's legislature. Both laws passed through Parliament's lower house in one day, September 21, with some minor amendments.

The legislation is due to be considered at a plenary session of the Senate, the upper house of Parliament, on Thursday – but it is not certain whether it will be adopted on the same day.

The Baptist Council of Churches and the Baptist Union are calling on all their member churches in Kazakhstan to pray and fast this week.

Non-Orthodox Christians have long faced discrimination in the workplace and in society at large in Kazakhstan – and people who have converted to Christianity from another faith have sometimes faced persecution.

(Sources: Forum 18, Mission Network News)

• Pray specifically that the two pieces of legislation being considered by the Kazakh Senate will not be passed without significant amendments. Pray that parliamentarians will recognise the need to uphold religious freedom for all Kazakh citizens.
• Pray for the church in Kazakhstan, which is under pressure from the authorities but which is growing nonetheless.

This is where God has called us to minister. Our response is to seek to discern what the Spirit of God is doing and to react to it, to meet the challenges that He is creating. Whatever model of mission I have sought to develop, it is not sectarian. I am reminded from this passage of how these Galilean nationalists came to Jesus to ask "Will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?".

In other words when the Spirit comes in power it's going to be for us and it's going to be wonderful - that's how we think, isn't it? So when the Presbyterian General Assembly meets, or their Boards or Mission Agencies meet, they assume "When the Spirit comes it's going to be for US." Or the Baptists think "It's going to be for US." And the Pentecostalists think "It's going to be for US." That is not what the Spirit of God is doing.

Just over a year ago I went into the Sacristy of the local Catholic Church, St Mary's. We have introduced in Lucan, during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, a pattern whereby we come and bring greetings to each other's churches. That was because I was so unhappy about the idea of exchanging pulpits. I just couldn't do it.

Preaching the Word of God is really important to me. So I suggested, and the local Parish Priest agreed, wouldn't it be wonderful if we just brought greetings before Mass or before Service?

So I went into the Sacristy and met the new Parish Priest, Father Tom. I said "My name is Trevor Morrow, Lucan Presbyterian Church" and he said "I am Father Tom, but I know who you are." And I said "How do you know who I am?". And he said "Do you remember preaching in the Pro-Cathedral in Dublin 20 years ago at a Catholic Youth Rally?"

And I said "Yes I do, Tom." And I remembered it for two reasons, because of what I had preached. I had chosen to preach on "By grace you are saved, through faith, and of that not of yourselves, lest anyone should boast.". It was not a polemical address, trying to show the superiority of a Reformed position over a Roman Catholic position, it was simply a celebration of the amazing grace of God.

I also remember it because it was the only occasion when I received a standing ovation for preaching the Gospel! There were hundreds and hundreds of Catholic students present. "Well," said Tom, "I responded to Jesus Christ that night. And, as a result, I entered the priesthood."

My response to him was "Please don't tell any of my colleagues in the North!"

The author of this brochure dedicates it to the memory of Alderman Mary O’Fee OBE, Mayor of North Down 1977-79. Mrs O’Fee was an Ulster Scot who worked tirelessly for a better and more complete understanding of our Early Christian past.

Monday, September 26. 2011

Repentance is a change of thought to correct a wrong and gain forgiveness from a person who is wronged. In religious contexts it usually refers to confession to God, ceasing sin against God, and resolving to live according to religious law. It typically includes an admission of guilt, a promise or resolve not to repeat the offense; an attempt to make restitution for the wrong, or in some way to reverse the harmful effects of the wrong where possible.

In Biblical Hebrew, the idea of repentance is represented by two verbs: ??? shuv (to return) and ??? nicham (to feel sorrow). In the New Testament, the word translated as 'repentance' is the Greek word ???????? (metanoia), "after/behind one's mind", which is a compound word of the preposition 'meta' (after, with), and the verb 'noeo' (to perceive, to think, the result of perceiving or observing).

In this compound word the preposition combines the two meanings of time and change, which may be denoted by 'after' and 'different'; so that the whole compound means: 'to think differently after'. Metanoia is therefore primarily an after-thought, different from the former thought; a change of mind accompanied by regret and change of conduct, "change of mind and heart", or, "change of consciousness". A description of repentance in the New Testament can be found in the parable of the prodigal son found in the Gospel of Luke (15 beginning at verse 11).

In the Hebrew Bible

In the Hebrew Bible, repentance generally leads to salvation. In some cases, individuals or nations repent of their sins and are spared God's judgment.

In Christianity

The doctrine of Repentance in the Scriptures appears to be very prominent. See the description of repentance in the Hebrew Bible above for repentance in the Old Testament. In the New Testament, John the Baptist began his public ministry, as did Jesus, with a call to repentance (Matthew 3:1–2; Matthew 4:17). In the Acts 2 sermon on Pentecost, Peter commands repentance. In the Acts 3 sermon at the Beautiful gate of the Temple, Peter interchanges the phrase "turn again" at a similar place in his presentation. When Jesus sent forth messengers to proclaim his gospel, he commanded them to preach repentance (Luke 24:47; Mark 6:12). Teachings on repentance are found in the New Testament in Peter, (Acts 2:38); Paul, (Acts 20:21). God wants everyone to repent (2 Pet. 3:9; Acts 17:30). Indeed, failure on the part of man to heed God's call to repentance means that he shall utterly perish (Luke 13:3).

The constant references to repentance in Peter's preaching to his fellow countrymen in the early part of the book of Acts may indicate an exceptional need for repentance amongst those who had recently been party to the crucifixion of Christ, see Responsibility for the death of Jesus. Paul is emphatic that change take place amongst those whom he taught (see the Bible references to "turning to a true and living God"). This aversion to the Greek or idolatrous lifestyle may have come from the intense patriotism to Jewish ideals held by the well educated former Pharisee.

Saint Issac the Syrian

Saint Isaac of Syria said, "This life has been given to you for repentance. Do not waste it on vain pursuits."

Sometime in the 9th century a monk, probably from the Abbey of Bangor, tired of the tedious copying of Latin manuscripts. For a break he wrote a short poem, not in Latin, but in his everyday language. This he copied into the margin of the manuscript he was working on at the time. The monk wrote of a blackbird, perched on a whin bush, singing out over Loch Laíg. That poem, of only 8 lines, has become a famous literary treasure of Old Irish.

In modern Irish Loch Laíg is written Loch Lao. In English, we know it as Belfast Lough. The blackbird symbolises the essential unity of all the people who live around the shores of the lough.

Whin, blackbird, the waters of the lough - the young Gall would have known these too. But Gall would join the missionary party led by Columbanus and sent out by the Bangor monastery into the European continent. The missionaries, perhaps Ireland ’s first to continental Europe, would face hardship and danger at every turn. Yet the mission was greatly blessed. When it arrived, the Christian faith in Western Europe was threatened with extinction from numerous barbarian invasions. After the Columbanus mission, Christianity revived and began to convert the pagan barbarians.

Today Gall is revered as the patron saint of Switzerland. Every Swiss schoolchild learns of St Gall. Would that the same were true in Gall’s native land!

Frau Maria Hufenus

We are pleased to welcome Frau Frau Maria Hufenus from the Swiss city of St Gallen which takes its name from St Gall. Frau Hufenus, St Gallen's expert on all things Irish, will lecture in both Belfast and Bangor.

Let all join in celebrating our great Christian and missionary tradition reaching back 1400 years!